South Dakota Stock Market Game announces top teams for fall trading session

More than 860 students participated in the fall session of the South Dakota Stock Market Game (SDSMG) hosted by Black Hill State University.

Students from 30 South Dakota schools formed 313 teams of stock market investors in the ten-week trading session. Students receive a hypothetical $100,000 to invest in real stocks, bonds and mutual funds. The program’s carefully integrated curriculum allows students to experience the financial markets in the classroom as they learn math, economics, social studies, and the importance of saving and investing for the long term.

The largest competitive division was the High School Division with 269 teams. Clark High School had the highest ending portfolio in the state at $ 124,272, and an impressive return of 24 percent. Teacher Jerome Nesheim used the program in his economics and personal finance class. One of the team’s best stocks was Weyerhaeuser (WY), a forest products company, up 18 percent.

The winner of the Middle School Division was St. Mary’s Elementary School in Dell Rapids. Teacher Amanda Geraets used the program in her eight grade personal finance and math class. The team’s best stock was Potash Corporation (POT), a fertilizer company, up 29 percent.

The winner of the College Division was Black Hills State University and the Jacket Investment Club. Dr. Sheng Yang, advisor to the club and team captain DeeAndra Sandgren use the program as part of their club’s educational activities. Their best stock was Comcast (CMCSA) a leading cable services company, up over 14 percent.

Learning Point Associates, in conjunction with the Foundation for Investor Education, recently commissioned a nationwide survey examining the impact of playing the Foundation’s Stock Market Game on student achievement on mathematics and investor knowledge tests. The results of the study concluded that students who participated in the program significantly outperformed students who did not play the game on both the mathematics and investor knowledge tests. The good news continues as students are not the only ones to benefit from The Stock Market Game. Teachers of the program report that their use in the classroom influenced their financial practices. They were influenced to set financial goals, analyze their risk tolerance, read the business section of the newspaper, and watch financial programs as a result of teaching the program.

The South Dakota Stock Market Game is sponsored by the Black Hills State University Center for Economic Education and the South Dakota Council on Economic Education.

The spring 2010 SDSMG session starts on Monday, Feb.16 and registration begins Jan. 1. To register or for more information, go to www.stockmarketgame.org

The Center for Economic Education will be conducting free teacher training webinars for registered teachers in February. Contact Dr. Sheng Yang at shengyang@bhsu.edu or call 605-642-6429 for details.

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